1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for heating bodies of water through steady state heat conductivity from the earth's heat reservoir, and more specifically to the heating of swimming pools without the need for fuel consuming heaters.
2. Description of the Prior Art There have been various devices that have been proposed for heating bodies of liquid inexpensively, but these have not proven to be satisfactory as they require the consumption of fuel.
The use of the "Earth Reservoir" as a source of thermal energy is well documented:
Taylor, in U.S. Pat. No. 612,635-Oct. 18, 1898, describes an "apparatus for cooling water" in which a "cylinder being driven or let into the ground to a considerable depth" is used to circulate and cool water "for drinking purposes."
Clancy, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,554,661-May 29, 1951, uses "the subterranean earth as a source of heat" in which to "circulate fluid" for a refrigerator or heat pump.
Moss, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,333-July 11, 1967, controls the temperature of communications apparatus by "extending a member of heat conducting material from the interior of the enclosure to a medium of more desirable temperature conditions."
Petersen, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,972-June 29, 1976, provides a means of "heating and cooling space within a structure...residential house, greenhouse or commercial building" by pumping fluid from a "hot well."
Steiger, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,651-Sept. 1, 1981, uses a "heat pump" to "extract heat from a heat exchange liquid" from a "geothermal pipe" to heat building structures.
McGrath, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,270-Nov. 10, 1981, uses a pump to circulate water through "deep earth mass (geothermal energy)" to heat a building.
Sills, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,056-June 26, 1984, provides "domestic hot water heating, space heating and space cooling for buildings" by using a heat pump coupled to "the deep earth."
Zeigenhain, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,492-July 10, 1984, uses a pump to inject fluid into a "thermally stable...formation" to recover "geothermal energy from subterranean formations".
Jungwirth, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,717-Aug. 25, 1987, provides a "heating system for homes and buildings" using reverse cycle refrigeration with "earthen material being a heat source."
Although all of these utilize the "earth reservoir" as a source of thermal energy, none has suggested the use of this resource to heat swimming pools. Moss, although utilizing a solid, rather than a liquid transfer medium, specifically mentions only the application to enclosures for communications apparatus, not swimming pools, both in the description and in the claims.